4/04/2016

The land where I grew up, the soil I was treading and viewing for 20 and something years. Dry, ascetic, plain landscapes with no one single mountain, only low hills. And the wind. Eternal wind. Sagebrush.

Very hot summers. Melting and sweating on the sun roads. Rivers. Cicadas, lizards and snakes. And frogs sang way a lot every June.

Mosquitoes.

Salty soil. White salt patches on the ground...

Abundance of summer fruits. Many many fruits, watermelons...

I was growing potatoes in this soil with my parents and all kind of vegetables. Grapes. Raspberries, many sorts of berries...

Yes, I know something about potatoes and about plants, I'm tied to the soil.

We lived in a block house. Each family had a flat. And we played in the garden and there was no fear at all. We played outside and moved freely in the town and our parents didn't worry for our safety. We walked a lot. I walked to the school and to the musical school, to the river to swim in summer, to visit my grandma.

But then, everything has changed. I became a teenager and the country of my childhood didn't exist anymore. I know it was a hard time for my parents.

We didn't go to our veggie patch anymore because water supplement was stopped. Old structures didn't work anymore.

Years later I went to see the place where our veggie patch was together with many other families. We had a summer house there. But when I went back I found just nothing. When I say nothing I want to say nothing. Anything was there.

No houses, no fences, no water pipelines. Everything was stolen and destroyed.

It was a very deep feeling... I imagine, people have similar feelings when war destroys their houses.

It's very unfair and painful.

I understand that nothing remains forever. But it hurts, especially when you don't expect it.

Our family didn't remain whole as well. Mom and dad had separated.Even so, I think, they sow a good seed, a seed of good because we had a happy time together.Last December I went home and asked my father to take me to the brick factory in the town. I went there for the first time with my class when I studied at school. All this time since I was child I kept this place in my mind and wanted to visit back again.I remember I was mesmerized by over fired bricks and drying shelves..altogether it seemed a bit magic to me. Brick factory remained there as well as dry, ascetic, plain landscapes with no one single mountain, only low hills. And the wind. Eternal wind. Sagebrush.

3/16/2016

Hi there! Time passed since I've been here for the last time.
After travel to Russia I'm trying to find lost balance, to build up my life routine again. It's curious how with years passing I become more delicate and less flexible...
I returned to my unfinished projects in December. Unglazed work was waiting for me. So it was a great excuse to dive into the studio and finish my first pottery line before the new year. I did so and the result satisfied me. I felt very proud about bringing an idea into life, from sketch until the end.
It took hours making pieces, giving them finishing touches, firing, mixing glazes and finally high firing - when pyrometer died at 300ºC. Even so I decided to go ahead with the firing referring to my experience and it all went well.
Can you imagine my satisfaction!?

Yes, it is an adventure, a passionate one.

Now, a new pyrometer is installed in my kiln. I asked for a slab roller as a new year gift. It was a very big investment, but I'm so happy with it, it's simply amazing!
I was so happy to have time off at work at the hotel in January-February - almost 6 weeks!
I did a little trip to Barcelona with a friend. After that I worked as much as I could at my studio despite cold and humidity. I launched my new shop page www.laccentnou.com where you can find all my recent pottery work.
Now, a batch of new work is waiting for glazing. I'll test new glazes and some wild clays and will make some research and experiments.
I made a ton of beads and can't wait to pack them up for the pit firing!
Sometimes I ask myself why I have chosen ceramics? The process is so slow and requires so much time and patience... It looks like I love suffering.
I fired today, I can't open the kiln until tomorrow because it has to cool down slowly, you know? It sounds completely crazy nowadays. Everything goes so fast nowadays....
Making ceramics to me is like a parenthesis, to focus, to concentrate on making and living intensively the process, being present. You won't center clay on the wheel if you aren't there.